Anti-Trafficking Rules Raise Contractor Compliance Concerns

Law360, New York (September 26, 2013, 10:28 PM EDT) -- New anti-trafficking regulation proposed Thursday signals that the U.S. will take a flexible, risk-based approach to fighting human trafficking under U.S. contracts, raising questions about exactly how far the government will expect companies to go in vetting subcontractors for riskier work.

Trafficking was an ugly problem in Iraq War contracting, as poorly overseen foreign subcontractors and labor recruiters lured low-skilled workers from places like Bangladesh, Nepal and Fiji with false promises that trapped many in indentured servitude, according to the Commission on Wartime Contracting. To help...